Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Weekly New Music Releases - 8/21/07

There are lots of interesting releases this week. It makes me sad that Sea Level's not around anymore. The idea of popping in on the way to the Earlimart record release show at the Echoplex sounds very appealing right now....Top Five New Releases:

[LOCAL] Earlimart: Mentor Tormentor (Majordomo) – Earlimart's back with their best album yet. The new album is a lush continuation of 2004's Treble & Tremble, so expect more comparisons to Grandaddy and Elliott Smith. After shopping the album to multiple labels, Espinoza settled on releasing it himself through Shout Factory. See them at the Echoplex tonight, 8/21 or the Troubadour on 10/24. Aaron was on Morning Becomes Eclectic this morning (you should be able to downlod the pocast soon). He'll be on Sinking with Sylvia on Little Radio on September 6th. Recommended.Download "Everybody Knows Everybody" (via Pitchfork)Download "Nevermind the Phonecalls" (via Pitchfork)Download "Don't Think About Me" (via Pitchfork)

M.I.A.: Kala (Interscope) - I'm not really an M.I.A. guy, but critics and indie kids both love her. Switch produced most of the new record. Vibe panned it, but it's got an 87/100 on Metacritic. I'm sure I'll end up picking it up.

The New Pornographers: Challengers (Matador) – This one's even more "introspective" than the last (and I wished the last was more like Electric Version). Pitchfork gave it a mediocre review, which I'm inclined to agree with at this point. At the Fonda on 9/19 and 9/20.

[LOCAL] Patrick Park: Everyone’s In Everyone (Curb Appeal) - Like Earlimart, the local singer-songwriter is on a new label. I haven't heard much of it, but my impression is that it's thankfully more stripped down than Loneliness Knows My Name. I plan on picking this one up.

[LOCAL] Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight (Warner Bros.) - Their major label debut is definitely a departure from their old sound. (I recommend you stream the full album on their Myspace page before purchasing). Jason Lader (Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5) and Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre) produced the bulk of it. Lyrically, there's a whore/stripper motif throughout. Many of the songs have a weak disco beat, which is on par with what you hear in bad porn films. Jenny Lewis' voice sounds great, even when she's singing about smoking pole. Longtime Rilo Kiley fans are split. "Silver Lining" and "The Angels Hung Around" are my favorite tracks, while "Dejalo" and "Smoke Detector" are the worst. At the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 10/15.

[LOCAL] Foreign Born: On the Wing Now (Dim Mak) – See them at the Echo tonight (8/21) or the Echoplex on Sunday. Pitchfork gave them a good review today, throwing around "anthem" and "U2" in the review.Download "In the Shape"Download "Union Hall"

Galactic: From the Corner to the Block (Anti) - At the House of Blues on 10/12

Imperial Teen: The Hair, The TV, The Baby & the Band (Merge) – At Spaceland on 9/28